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Article: Vaccines in pregnancy and lactation.(DRUGS, PREGNANCY, AND LACTATION)
- Article from:
- Internal Medicine News
- Article date:
- April 15, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Vaccines have arguably saved more lives and prevented more diseases than any other class of drug. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that vaccination before conception is preferred to vaccination during pregnancy, but the benefits of immunization to the pregnant woman usually outweigh the theoretical risks (Committee Opinion, No. 282, January 2003). Only vaccines recommended for adults of reproductive age are included in the following discussion.
Vaccines are classified as bacterial or viral; whole (killed, inactivated, or live attenuated); or partial microorganisms that can induce antibody formation. Although these vaccines can cause ...